The Simpl Man

VA disability pay and some survivor benefits don't go up on their own the way Social Security does. Congress has to pass a bill first. On November 9, the House passed H.R. 8552, the Veterans' Compensation Cost-of-Living Adjustment Act of 2026, by voice vote. If it becomes law, VA would have to raise wartime disability compensation, extra pay for dependents, the clothing allowance for certain disabled veterans, and Dependency and Indemnity Compensation for surviving spouses and children by the same percentage as the Social Security increase that takes effect December 1, 2026, and then publish the new amounts in the Federal Register. The Senate still has to pass it, and the President still has to sign it, so don't treat a bigger check as a done deal yet.

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The Major Richard Star Act would end the retired-pay offset for eligible combat-related Chapter 61 retirees who left service with fewer than 20 years, so they could keep both their full military retired pay and their VA disability compensation. On November 9, Rep. Mark Takano moved to force a House vote after a discharge petition reached the required 218 signatures on September 15; under House rules, the Speaker then had two legislative days to set a time. An October Congressional Budget Office estimate put the average monthly offset at about $2,275 for Chapter 61 retirees who received Combat-Related Special Compensation and had fewer than 20 years of service, and estimated those eligible would get about $1,450 more a month under the narrowed bill. Even if the House votes yes, the Senate would still have to pass it, and if it does not become law before this Congress ends, supporters would have to start over. If you completed a regular retirement, this version of the bill wouldn't change your pay; it is aimed at medically retired, combat-injured veterans with fewer than 20 years.

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TRICARE has posted its 2027 health-plan costs, which take effect January 1, 2027. What you pay depends on your plan and on whether the sponsor first entered service before January 1, 2018 (Group A) or on or after that date (Group B). For retirees and their families, annual enrollment fees range from $193.92 for an individual in Select Group A up to $1,233.96 for a family in Select Group B; Prime Group A is $396 for an individual and $792.96 for a family. Pharmacy copays are not changing in 2027, and current dental premiums stay the same through February 28, 2027. TRICARE For Life costs for 2027 have not been posted yet — the official page says those will come early next year — and this notice does not cover overseas fee details.

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If you're in TRICARE Prime or Select, including the overseas versions of those plans, you have from November 9 through December 8 to keep your plan, sign up, or switch, with changes starting January 1, 2027. You don't have to do a thing to stay put. Check your family's information in DEERS first, then enroll online through milConnect, by mail, or by phone — and if you're overseas, call International SOS. If you already have TRICARE For Life, you can sit this one out; people in premium-based plans like TRICARE Reserve Select, Retired Reserve, or Young Adult can buy coverage any time of year. Miss the deadline, and you generally wait until next year unless you have a qualifying life event, such as a marriage or a new baby.

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A group representing about 20,000 VA physicians and dentists asked Congress on October 12 to halt further deployments of the Oracle Health electronic health record until independent safety reviews are done, while still funding care at the 19 VA sites already using it. The project has had a long, bumpy ride: a $10 billion contract in 2018, a pause in 2023 after safety and cost problems, then a restart, with this year's planned rollouts raised to 13 and recent go-lives in Ohio and Alaska. VA and Oracle also recently extended the contract with an extra $17 billion ceiling, and the House Veterans' Affairs Committee voted 19-0 to subpoena Oracle executives, with a hearing set for November 19. If you get care at a VA facility, this is about how your records are kept and how carefully that system is being rolled out. The article does not address care overseas.

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Military Prescription is a free price-comparison and pharmacy discount program for service members, veterans, and military family members, including spouses and children. There's no cost to join and no credit card required. It is not insurance, and it is not a replacement for VA pharmacy benefits or TRICARE; the write-up says to use VA first when that is free or cheaper, and if you have TRICARE, compare your TRICARE copay with the Military Prescription price before you fill the prescription. The card generally can't be combined with insurance on the same purchase, savings vary by drug and pharmacy, and VA News is clear this is not a VA endorsement. The article does not say whether it works at pharmacies in other countries.

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The Defense Department and VA are joining the Trusted Exchange Framework and Common Agreement, known as TEFCA, a system meant to make electronic health information easier to share and more secure. A VA official said the move should give service members, veterans, and families safer access to their health information across providers. This is a short official notice, not a long how-to, and it doesn't give a start date or a list of hospitals. There's also no word here on how, or whether, this works for care outside the United States.

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The Global Nurse Advice Line lets TRICARE beneficiaries talk with a registered nurse by phone, text, or video, 24 hours a day, for help with symptoms, whether to seek care, finding urgent or emergency care, and even making appointments. If you live in the United States, you can use it; in the U.S., Guam, or Puerto Rico, call 800-874-2273 and choose option 1. If you live outside the United States, you can use it only if you are enrolled to a military hospital or clinic, and you should look up the country-specific number on TRICARE's Global Nurse Advice Line page. This is not for true emergencies — if you're overseas, call your local emergency number. Simpl Man opinion: If you live abroad and aren't enrolled at a military hospital or clinic, don't count on this line; have another plan for after-hours advice.

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VA has teamed up with the National Association of REALTORS® to remind eligible veterans, service members, and surviving spouses about the VA home loan. For many eligible borrowers, that can mean no down payment, competitive rates, and no private mortgage insurance — but VA's deputy secretary also put it plainly: "zero down payment doesn't mean zero responsibility," because you still have taxes, insurance, maintenance, and repairs. The department says a lot of old worries — that VA loans are slower, costlier, or a hard sell — are often out of date, and it has a toolkit to help real-estate agents explain the program. If you served honorably, you are a veteran, and you may qualify even if you didn't serve in combat. This article does not discuss using a VA loan from overseas or buying a home outside the United States.

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On November 1, the American Red Cross opened the Military 2 Veteran Network, a secure online community where service members and veterans can find peer support, no matter when they served or where they live. It offers scheduled virtual group meetings, wellness workshops, a resource directory, and volunteer options. You verify your military or veteran status with ID.me, then set up a username and password. VA News notes that posting this is not a VA endorsement. Because it's online and open regardless of location, veterans living abroad may be able to join, though the article doesn't mention any particular country.

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Salesforce Military offers free, mostly self-paced online technology training to veterans, service members, military spouses, and Gold Star children, with no prior tech experience required. After you verify eligibility through Military Connect and finish the required Trailhead lessons, you can qualify for an exam voucher (the roughly $200 exam fee is covered) toward official Salesforce certifications such as Administrator, Developer, or Consultant. Those free Trailhead courses and official Salesforce certifications do not have an ACE or NCCRS college-credit recommendation; if a school grants credit, it does so under its own prior-learning rules. A separate paid Coursera program, the Salesforce Sales Operations Professional Certificate, has an ACE recommendation of 1 lower-division semester hour, valid November 1, 2025, through October 31, 2028; those credits may be eligible for transfer, and the school decides. The GI Bill can reimburse approved licensing or certification test fees, up to $2,000 per test, if you apply on VA Form 22-0803 — but it is not confirmed whether Salesforce exams are on VA's approved list, so check the GI Bill Comparison Tool before you count on that. VA News says sharing this information is not a VA endorsement.

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